MCA TV Unit Gets Chief of Distribution

James McNamara, the former chief executive of New World Entertainment, has joined MCA as president of worldwide TV distribution for the MCA Television Group. In addition to producing first-run syndication programs, McNamara will supervise distribution of live-action and animated series, specials, TV movies and Universal feature films both domestically and abroad. McNamara, who is the first major hire by Greg Meidel, chairman of MCA Television, said one of his priorities is to get the syndication business humming, building on the success of the action-adventure hits “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” and “Xena: Warrior Princess.” He said the company will produce one or two more action hours this year and will buy stakes in broadcasters overseas and launch new pay and free channels to help compensate for MCA’s lack of U.S. network distribution.

* Music industry veteran Al Teller is about to reemerge with his own West Coast record label financed by Bertelsmann Music Group, the German conglomerate that owns New York-based Arista and RCA Records. Teller has been wooed by a number of music and online interactive companies since being ousted last fall as chairman of MCA Music Entertainment. Negotiations for the multimillion-dollar joint venture with BMG have not been completed, but Teller’s new label is expected to be launched before June.

* Chris Carlisle has been appointed senior vice president of worldwide creative advertising for Warner Bros. Mee H. Lee has been promoted to vice president of governmental affairs for the company’s real estate planning and public affairs department. Richard Nabatoff has been appointed international vice president of Warner Bros. consumer products.

* Walt Disney has appointed William J. Wilkinson senior vice president of human resources.

* Charles Segars has joined DreamWorks SKG to oversee development and production of programs for television.